Demon Slayer: My breathing technique went awry after Nezuko pushed me down.

Without hesitation, Inosuke leaped high into the air, wielding his twin swords in a cross-slash stance, and slashed at the spider mother's neck.

In his view, Shirakawa Yu was so close to the demon, yet he didn't make a move, which meant he was clearly immobilized by this demon who was skilled at manipulating people.

That's great!

If he kills this ghost, he'll have won a round!

"Die, you demon! Gaaaaaa—gaa ...

Inosuke, who was laughing wildly, froze in mid-air the moment Shirakawa Yu turned around.

He suddenly stretched out his arms and brought his legs together, once again cosplaying as Jesus in mid-air.

"You bastard!!! What are you doing?! Let me go!!!"

Tanjiro, who was behind him, walked up to him with his face covered, his helplessness clearly visible.

"Senior brother, this really won't work!"

"Why not?" Bai Chuanyu said calmly.

"She killed one of our Demon Slayer Corps members!" Tanjiro said solemnly.

"Murder?" Shirakawa Yu chuckled. "Do you think Miss Tamayo hasn't killed anyone?"

Tanjiro choked.

Shirakawa Yu looked up at the moon and slowly said, "Tamayo has been by Muzan's side for over a hundred years. She has killed more people than you have ever seen. In fact, the first and second people she killed were her husband and child."

He lowered his head and looked at Tanjiro, who was in shock. "So, you're going to kill Tamayo too?"

Chapter 58 Should I call you Mom too?

Tanjiro's eyes widened upon hearing about Tamayo's past.

He knew nothing about any of this.

He knew his senior brother's character and knew he wouldn't lie to him about something like this.

In other words, the former Miss Tamayo was a man-eating... demon!

Immediately afterwards, he was caught in an internal struggle.

That gentle, motherly-like Miss Tamayo is a demon!?

But...could I really...bring it on her?!

Is it possible?

Ignoring Tanjiro, who was reshaping his worldview, Shirakawa Yu casually turned his head, making Inosuke follow his gaze as he looked at Spider Mother.

"You heard it too, there's more than one ghost around me."

He grinned and chuckled, "When you have too many lice, you're not afraid of being bitten. So now, do you still want to die?"

The spider mother's head was already smoking.

In her long life, she had only a short experience.

She looked at Nezuko, clinging affectionately to Shirakawa Hare; she looked at Tanjiro, conflicted and seemingly wanting to sheathe his sword; she looked at the boar demon struggling in the sky...

Why!?

How did the wild boar monster fly?

He doesn't have any silk threads on him.

Bai Chuanyu noticed the curiosity in her eyes and grinned mischievously, showing off his bright white teeth.

"I can absorb blood demon magic; this is the ability I gained from consuming the previous demon!"

A glutton! ? ?

(?_?) The spider mother was so frightened that tears welled up in her eyes.

"Don't eat me~ I don't taste good~~~~"

"I like you a lot, but if you don't come with me, then I'll have no choice but to eat you!" Bai Chuanyu laughed in a wicked way.

o(╥﹏╥)o: "Wow~ Don't eat me! Waaaaah~ I'll go with you!~"

Boom!

Shirakawa Yu snapped his fingers, looking relaxed and happy!

One done!

One left!

Beside him, Shirakawa Yu's words plunged Tanjiro into a long silence.

The boy gripped the knife hilt tightly and loosely, but he could never make up his mind.

"Miss Tamayo..." Tanjiro's voice was hoarse, "...did she really kill...her own family?"

“That’s how all ghosts got here,” Shirakawa Yu said calmly.

"Muzan's blood has a strong desire for domination and a twisting power. People who have just become demons will lose their rationality and memory, and they will often attack their closest relatives first."

He paused, looking at the spider mother who was still curled up on the ground, sobbing.

"This little girl was probably only seven or eight years old when she became a ghost."

Tanjiro was shocked.

He recalled the scene when he found his family's bodies in the snow, and the way Nezuko pounced on him after she first turned into a demon.

If only I hadn't dodged back then.

What will Nezuko become after tasting the blood of her family?

Could it be like the ghost in front of me?

“But senior brother,” Tanjiro raised his head, his eyes still filled with struggle.

"Even so, she still killed members of the Demon Slayer Corps! Those who died—"

"Tanjiro."

Shirakawa Yu interrupted him, her tone unusually serious, "I'm asking you, why did you join the Demon Slayer Corps?"

"Of course, it's to protect innocent people, to help Nezuko turn back into a human, and to..."

"For revenge?"

Tanjiro pursed his lips and nodded.

"And after you get your revenge?" Shirakawa Yu asked, "Kill all the demons? Including Nezuko? Including Tamayo? Including those poor souls who might be like your family, just turned into demons by Muzan?"

“I…” Tanjiro was speechless.

Shirakawa Yu sighed, walked up to Tanjiro, and patted him on the shoulder.

“Listen, I’m not trying to excuse her. Murder is murder, and a crime is a crime. But…” He looked at the spider mother.

"If there were a way for these sinful ghosts to atone for their sins while also contributing to 'ending the age of ghosts,' would you be willing to try it?"

Tanjiro was stunned. "What do you mean?"

"Ms. Tamayo's research has made a breakthrough." Shirakawa Yu lowered his voice and spoke slowly in a volume that only the two of them could hear.

"It's about an experiment to see how to make Nezuko walk in the sunlight!"

Tanjiro's eyes lit up: "Really?!"

“Why would I lie to you?” Shirakawa Yu shrugged. “But she needs volunteers—ghosts who are willing to cooperate with the experiment and have self-awareness.”

"So I'm taking this little girl with me. Not just as a pet, but also to send her to the lab as a volunteer."

"Isn't this a greater contribution to the world than simply killing her?"

Tanjiro remained silent for a long time.

He glanced at Shirakawa Yu, then at the still trembling Spider Mother, and finally at the Nichirin Blade in his hand.

He recalled his master Urokodaki's words, "Tanjiro, a sword is for protecting the weak, not for venting hatred."

"Senior brother," Tanjiro finally spoke, his voice very soft, "can you guarantee she won't kill anyone again?"

“I guarantee it.” Shirakawa Yu said without hesitation, “After being modified by Miss Tamayo, she will become like them and will only drink blood bags from now on. The method will be the same as Miss Tamayo’s, and it won’t harm anyone’s life.”

Tanjiro took a deep breath and slowly sheathed his sword.

"......I see."

Shirakawa Yu laughed, "That's right."

He turned and walked toward the spider mother, and Tanjiro hesitated for a moment before following him.

Inosuke, still cosplaying as Jesus in the sky, angrily yelled, "Hey! Aren't you two done talking?! Put me down! That ghost is trying to escape!"

The spider mother did want to run, but her legs were too weak to stand up.

Bai Chuanyu squatted down in front of her and reached out to wipe away the tears on her face.

The moment my fingers touched that small face, I could clearly feel her trembling.

"Don't cry."

Shirakawa Yu: "Now I'm formally asking you, are you willing to come with me? To a place where we don't get beaten up, killed, or have to kill anyone."

The spider mother opened her big, teary eyes, looked at Shirakawa Yu, then at Tanjiro, and finally at Inosuke, who was still flapping in the air.

"I...I really can...not die?" Her voice was so faint it was like a mosquito's hum.

"Yeah, you won't die." Shirakawa Yu nodded. "But you'll have to cooperate with the experiment, which might hurt a bit, and they might draw blood or something. But it's better than having your face torn off, right?"

The spider mother shuddered as she recalled the excruciating pain when Lei's fingers dug into her cheek.

"I...I'm willing!" She nodded vigorously, afraid that Bai Chuanyu would change his mind. "As long as you don't kill me, I'll do anything you want!"

"Very good." Shirakawa Yu smiled with satisfaction. "So, first of all, what's your name?"

The spider mother was stunned.

name?